Yes, the last time we finished with a winning record in interleague play was actually 1999, and the last decade had produced a painful 63-102 record for us against the American League. 2002-2007 wasn't so bad, but it had gotten ugly the past couple of years. This year, therefore, we're more than happy to take the 9-6 tally and the four series wins.

There are a lot of theories about why the National League, in general, has struggled against the American League over the years - the dedicated roster spot for the DH, some higher payrolls, just more talent overall. We don't necessarily know the answer, but we do know we're pleased to buck the trend.

14 comments:

I gotta say, Paul, it's really nice to see you guys having success as an organization...and I'm not even a Pads fan! I just want to see you guys turn it around, and I'd love to see Adrian Gonzalez lead this team to the playoffs.

I have a question regarding Jose De Paula in Fort Wayne. It seems like he's always been a starter, so I was surprised to see him getting relief appearances this season. Is the plan just to bring him along slowly and monitor pitch counts because of last season's arm troubles? Is his future as a starter?

Why is Latos scheduled to start on Thursday? They could spot Stauffer in his slot on Thursday and, by virtue of the post All-Star break schedule, give him essentially three weeks off right now so that he's fully available down the stretch. They could get him to the end of July with 106-ish innings pitched, leaving him about 50-60 to get through August and September. I'd much rather see him rationed in July when they're playing Washington, Arizona and Pittsburgh than in September when they have a brutal stretch against the key teams in the division, Cardinals, and Reds...

Perhaps 3-weeks off is extreme ... but it's making me wonder what the thinking is for how/when to limit Latos?

It's a tough decision ... a "good tough" decision ... because of how well the team is doing!